Cessna 172 N3973L

Summary

On 27 October 2018 at about 14:15 local time, a Cessna 172 registered N3973L was involved in an accident near Houston, Texas, United States. 3 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

27 October 2018 at 14:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Houston, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

West Houston (IWS)

Coordinates

29.8236, -95.6756

Aircraft

Cessna 172

Registration

N3973L

Category

Airplane

Year built

1966

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Houston → Houston

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN19LA015

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to apply carburetor heat while operating in an area conducive to carburetor icing, which resulted in a total loss of engine power on approach and subsequent forced landing into a creek.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The commercial pilot reported that, as the airplane approached the runway after a short local, personal flight, the engine lost power. The pilot checked the fuel valve, mixture, and engaged the starter, but engine power was not restored. The pilot stated that the airplane was "headed directly toward a concrete revetment on the south bank" of a creek, so he banked the airplane left, and it subsequently impacted in the creek. During recovery of the airplane, the fuel selector was found in the "both" position, and the throttle, mixture, and carburetor heat controls were found in the "forward" (off) position. Examination of the wreckage revealed no evidence of any preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The atmospheric conditions at the time that the engine lost power were conducive to serious icing at any power, moderate icing at cruise power, and serious icing at descent power. Given the evidence, it is likely that carburetor ice accumulated during the flight and that the pilot did apply carburetor heat, which resulted in a loss of all engine power.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.